The '80s and early '90s were the heydey of hair metal. Those bands were on the radio and sold out concerts across the world. Their biggest radio hits tended to be the ballads, the type of songs that would bring out the lighters at shows back before there were cell phones. Here's my list of the best hair metal ballads. I limited it to one song per artist, and since I don't consider Guns 'N Roses a hair band, you won't see "Sweet Child Of Mine" on this list, even though it's a great song.
11. "Don't Close Your Eyes" - Kix
Kix was another second tier hair band that I thought should have been more successful than they were. They were one of the pioneers in the genre, releasing their first album back in 1981. "Blow My Fuse" and "Cold Blood" got radio and MTV play, but this song was their only one to hit the pop charts, peaking at number 12. It starts with a piano, and then gradually builds in intensity before kicking in. Vocalist Steve Whiteman has a great voice, and Kix continues to reunite periodically to play live.12. "High Enough" - Damn Yankees
Damn Yankees were a supergroup of sorts that included Jack Blades from Night Ranger, Tommy Shaw from Styx and Ted Nugent. They released two albums during their heydey and had a bunch of songs that made it on the rock charts. This song was a huge pop hit, peaking at number three. The combination of Blades' lower pitched voice and Shaw's higher pitched voice works really well together and there are some great harmonies throughout the song. Nugent left the band and Shaw Blades was the band that continued and actually just released a new CD in 2007.13. "Close My Eyes Forever" - Ozzy Osbourne/Lita Ford
Having Ozzy Osbourne in a hair band category might be controversial, but there's no denying that Lita Ford was a hair metal artist, so their duet is labeled under that genre. Lita's hit "Kiss Me Deadly" peaked at number 12 on the singles chart, but this one did even better, cracking the top 10 and rising to number 8. Ozzy and Lita basically alternate vocals throughout the song, rarely singing together or doing harmonies.14. "Without You" - Motley Crue
Motley Crue are one of the most popular and commercially successful of the hair bands. They've had a ton of hits like "Shout At The Devil," "Girl Girls Girls," "Dr. Feelgood," "Kickstart My Heart" and many more. As far as their ballads, I know a lot of people will disagree with my choice and would pick "Home Sweet Home" as their best. I just happen to like "Without You" a little more.15. "Fly High Michelle" - Enuff Z'Nuff
The Chicago glam band Enuff Z'Nuff released several albums from the late '80s through the early '90s, but remained solidly in the second tier of hair metal bands. "Fly High Michelle" is a little faster paced than most ballads, but still fits the criteria. "New Thing" and this song were their only chart successes.16. "Miles Away" - Winger
If you watched the TV show Beavis And Butthead, the nerdy guy Stewart always wore a Winger tee shirt and was made fun of. That was a bad rap, because Winger weren't any wussier than most hair bands. Faster songs like "Seventeen" and "Madelaine" got them on the map, but ballads like "Headed For A Heartbreak" and this one were their biggest hits.17. "More Than Words" - Extreme
It was a number one worldwide smash, but to fans who only heard this song, Extreme was a mellow pop band. In reality, they were able to rock pretty hard, and Nuno Bettencourt is a great guitar player. They released some of their harder edged songs as singles, but only mellower tracks like "Hole Hearted" and this one were popular among the masses. "More Than Words" is completely acoustic, with just Nuno on guitar and Gary Cherone singing.
18. "Alone Again" - Dokken
Dokken had a lot of success with songs like "In My Dreams" and "It's Not Love," but they broke up before they reached their full potential because of band infighting. Singer Don Dokken and guitarist George Lynch made a great musical team, but couldn't get along on a personal level. They eventually got back together, but the era of the hair bands had passed by that time. "Alone Again" was their best ballad.19. "Still Loving You" - Scorpions
"Wind Of Change" was much more commercially successful (that's the one with the whistling), but "Still Loving You" to me is a far superior song. The Scorpions have been around for well over 30 years and they are still releasing new albums and touring.